ORONO - A lot of players have scored for Maine men's hockey. As a matter of face, 19 players have at least one goal for Maine this season, that is called depth.

Week in and week out it seems as if one player catches fire out of no where that was Brendan Robbins this weekend.

The junior forward exploded for three goals in Maine's win over Merrimack on Friday and now leads the Black Bears in goals with 10. Robbins couldn't explain the reason for the sudden outburst as he hasn't changed anything in practice or game preparation

...“He has always had a good shot but he didn’t necessarily have the feel for how to apply it and, over time, he has gotten better,” said UMaine head coach Red Gendron. “He has worked really hard to improve his game and he still plays with that same tenacity every time he suits up.”

Robbins said he has spent a lot of time working on his shot and finishing touch.

“I worked on improving my skills around the net … putting pucks on net and hitting my spots,” said Robbins. “This year it has kind of showed for me. I’ve got a couple more goals than I had last year and the season isn’t over. I just like contributing to the team and doing the best I can.”

...About the Friars• Providence enters Friday's game with an overall record of 17-9-4 and a 10-6-4 conference mark after a 2-2 tie and 4-3 loss at Vermont this past weekend.• Erik Foley leads the Friars in points with 31 (13-18—31), with 20 of his points coming in the 19 Hockey East games that Providence has played this season.• The Friars are 1-2-2 in their last five games, with the win coming against then No. 8/9 Northeastern on Jan. 27.• Hayden Hawkey has started all 30 games for Providence this season, going 17-9-3 in 29 decisions while posting a 2.24 goals against average, .910 save percentage and three shutouts.• Hawkey's 30 appearances is tied for the most in the country while his 1712:32 total minutes played ranks third.

The Series with the Friars• Maine and Providence have squared off 122 times prior to Friday's tilt, with Maine holding an edge of 64-51-7 in the all-time series.• The squads first squared off on Jan. 5, 1980, with Providence topping Maine, 4-3, at Alfond Arena.• Maine had a 13-game unbeaten streak in the series (12-0-1) from Feb. 9, 1991 to Feb. 3, 1995.• The Black Bears and Friars met back on Nov. 24 at the Friendship Four Tournament in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with Providence stealing a tough 3-0 win.• The teams met twice last season, with Providence edging the Black Bears, 3-2, in the first game – Rob McGovern made 33 saves while Patrick Holway and Chase Pearson both potted goals – and getting the sweep with a 5-3 win the next night.• The teams have only a three-point differential in the conference standings, with Providence sitting in third and Maine in fifth (the top seven teams are separated by just seven points in the table).

Providence cashes in on overtime power play to edge UMaine men’s hockey team

...UMaine slipped to 15-11-4, 9-8-3 in conference play.

Coach Red Gendron’s Black Bears had killed off a 5-on-3 Providence power play late in regulation to help force overtime.

“It was a great game and our team played really well for the entire 60 minutes — one of the better games we’ve played this year,” Gendron said.

Gendron faulted neither Vesey for his effort on the play, nor the referee for making the call.

“We had more than our share of opportunities and it came down to a bad break. Nolan Vesey, he didn’t intend on hitting the goalie,” Gendron said. “It was just one of those bang-bang plays. He’s heading toward the net and the goalie bounced the puck off his shin pads and he’s trying to score, he runs into him by accident.”